A Joyful Practice

The Stories Behind The Teachings

Day 16 of Yoga Journal’s 21-Day Challenge

Who knows whether it is bad luck or good luck,” says the Taoist farmer.

“Is that so?” asks the Zen monk.

“Everything…is the best,” says the Zen shopkeeper.

“Gam zu l’tovah,” says Nachum Ish Gamzu.

In the modern world, especially here in the West, we tend to view things as they come. We are quick to assume that what we have, here and now, is the whole story. And, we are quick to judge accordingly. We define a situation – or another person – as good, bad, or irrelevant depending on how it measures up to our current goals and desires. We suffer, because we react to what’s happening in a moment that is nothing more, nothing less, than the middle of a chapter. Even if (you think) this chapter is the end of your life, it is hardly ever where your story ends.

In fact, even if you’re right, and this is the last chapter of your living life, there’s still another chapter in your story – it just involves other people. If you’re wrong, and this is not the last chapter in your living life, then the next chapter is all about how your attitude about a current situation affected your future situations.

I’ve seen people recover from tragedy because they had a positive attitude. I’ve also seen people who seem to age dramatically because they can’t get past a calamity. Personally, I believe we have an infinity capacity for joy and love, but that we are only given the grief we can handle. Call me a romantic optimist. I still recognize the problem with this philosophy is that sometimes things happen which make us doubt our ability to handle the situation. We fall into the trap of believing it is the end of the story. We become disappointed, irritated, angry – and those emotions begin to supersede the joy, the hope, the love.

My Day 16 story is mostly about molehills that could have turned into mountains. Although, there is a funny celebrity moment and a really dramatic moment (which isn’t mine). The stories behind the teachings quoted above, are a little deeper. Take a moment to consider your answers to the questions which appear after the teachings.

See if you can be open to the possibility that you don’t have the whole story. See if you can be receptive to the inevitable joy that comes from recognizing everything is for the good.

If, when the horse runs away, the farmer gets depressed and defeated, he may not be physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of doing his job. In which case, we end up with a very different story. Consider how your reaction to a minor (or major) event in your life affects your story.

In Zen Buddhism, there is are two related koans. In the first, people accuse a monk of fathering a child. The monk accepts the child, probably grows to love the child (to say nothing of how the child feels about her “father”); however, when the child is taken away, the monk accepts the change in his situation with the same aplomb he exhibited at the beginning. People around him believe they know the truth of a story, that they understand reality, based on the information at hand. The monk questions their understanding of reality.

When was the last time you questioned your understanding of the facts at hand? In other words, when was the last time you questioned your understanding of reality?

~ Be open, be receptive. ~

Like this:

This is so important to keep in my mind as a teacher of young children. I am just one person that can (or not) affect the journey they are on. I am one very small piece of their story which is can be very powerful and insignificant all at once.

It is amazing isn’t it?!?! I find this perspective also helps when teaching the young at heart (and the not so young)!I also remind myself that we really have no way of knowing our full impact on others. So, go forth like it matters – cause it does.